Stabilizing means for motor vehicles



Dec. 23, 1941. A, M, WOLF 2,267,388

STABILIZING MEANS FOR MOTOR VEHICL ES Original Filed April 15, 1955 IATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STABILIZIN G MEANSFOR MOTOR VEHICLES Austin M. WolfI Plainfleld, N. I. Originalapplication April 15, 1933, Serial No.

Divided and this application November 27, 1939, Serial No. 306,298

Clalms.

ling and modifying the resistance of vehicle shock absorbers inanticipation of the effect of centrifugal force upon the body of thevehicle in making sharp turns or rounding corners.

More particularly, I provide means controlled from the steering wheel ofthe vehicle for properly adjusting the resistance control valves of theshock absorbersat the outer side of the vehicle in making a turn so asto increase the resistance of said shock absorbers to the compression ofthe vehicle body supporting springs on that side of the vehicle, inmaking a turn, whereby the effects of centrifugal force on the vehiclebody are snubbed or nullified.

A further object of the invention is to provide two independentlyoperable means connected respectively With the resistance control valvesof the shock absorbers on opposite sides of the vehicle, and a commonactuating means therefor cperatively connected with the vehicle steeringmechanism.

It is a further object of the invention in one embodiment thereof toprovide electrical means for actuating the resistance regulating valvesof the shock absorbers and means controlled by the steering mechanism ofthe vehicle for selectively energizing the electrical valve operatingmeans of the shock absorbers on opposite sides of the vehicle.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theimproved stabilizing means for motor vehicles, and in the form,construction and relative arrangement of its several parts, as willhereinafter be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawing wherein I have illustrated several practical examples ofthe present invention and in which corresponding reference charactersdesignate similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a vehicle frame or chassis andsteering mechanism showing a mechanical embodiment of the shock absorberresistance regulating means applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a modifled form of the inventionas used in connection 5 with electrically actuated resistance regulatingvalves for the shock absorbers.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, 5 and 8indicate the opposite longitudinal side rails of a vehicle frame orchassis.

10 The steering. gear, generally indicated at I includes the steeringarm 8 which is provided at its .lower end with the usual ball orknuckleshown at 8 for connection with the front axle steering mechanism(not shown).

A brake pressure regulating device, generally indicated at R, having amovable pressure regulating valve Ill actuated by inertia responsivemeans in the casing II, is operatively connected with a cross shaft l2oscillatably supported at its an opposite ends upon the side rails 5 and6. This connection may comprise the link l3 connected at one of its endswith the movable valve member ill and having its other end connectedwith the upstanding arm i4 fixed to the shaft i2.

Since this brake pressure regulating device R is fully shown anddescribed in my co-pending application, it need not be herein furtherreferred to in detail.

At opposite sides of its center, vertically disposed rods it and I6respectively are oscillatably At their upper ends these ro are providedwith the fixed arms ll and it, normally extending in opposite directionsmounted in the shaft ii.

and in parallel relation with the shaft ii. Rods iii and 29 respectivelycperatively connect the ing beyond said rails. To the latter end of eachshaft 23 and 24 lever arms 26 and 21 respectively are fixed and extendabove and below the shaft axis. The lever arms at each'side of thevehicle frame are connected by means of the forwardly and rearwardlyextending rods,.indicated at 28 with rotatable resistancecontrol valvesof a standard type offiuidshock absorber mounted on the vehicle framenear its opposite ends. One of these shock absorbers is indicated at 29,and may be of the construction shown and gear side of the vehicle.

described in patent to Seaholm No. 2,033,034, December 3, 1935.

Each of the rods l and i6 is further provided at its lower end with alaterally projecting arm 30 and 3| respectively, said arms extending atright angles to the arms l8 and I1 and being of the rod I5 andcounter-clockwise rotation of the rod l8 from such normal positions.Rotation of the rods is yieldingly resisted by suitable springs, one ofwhich is shown at 38 in Fig. 2, which yieldingly urge the spherical endsof the arms 30 and 3| into contact with the member 34.

The shaft 35 at its outer end is connected with one arm of a bell cranklever 39, the other arm of which is connected by rod 48 with thesteering arm 8.

With reference to the foregoing description, the operation of theinvention will be understood as follows:

Assuming that the driver desires to make a right hand turn, he imparts aclockwise rotation to the steering wheel W which results in a counterclockwise movement of the arm 8 and a rearward movement of the rod 48,thus imparting clockwise rotation to the bell crank 39 and moving therod or shaft 35 outwardly. In such movement, the member 34 bearingagainst arm 3| causes a clockwise rotation of rod i5 so that arm l8exerts a pull on the rod 20, thus rocking shaft 24 and actuating theresistance regulating valves of shock absorbers 29 on the steering Thisof course will be the outer side in making a right hand turn where thecentrifugal force will tend to compress the body supporting springs.However, this is anticipated by the actuation of the resistance controlvalves in the rotation of the steering wheel which increases resistanceof the shock absorbers to the compression of the vehicle springs. Insuchmovement of the actuating member 34 to rotate the rod IS, the otherrod l5 remains stationary as its arm 30 is engaged with stop' 31 so thatshaft 23 is not actuated and the resistance of the shock absorbers atthe inner side of the vehicle remains undisturbed.

, Of course it will be evident that when the wheel W is rotated in acounter-clockwise direction in making a left hand turn, the rod l5 andits connections with the shaft 23 are actuated to modify the resistanceof the shock absorbers on the frame rail 6, while the rod I6 and rockshaft 24 remain stationary.

When the brakes are applied and the brake pressure regulating device Ris actuated, as the regulating valve l8 moves forwardly, shaft I2 isrocked in a counter clockwise direction, and both of the rods l5 and Hiand the parts connected therewith, move as a unit with said shaft,thereby simultaneously rotating both rock shafts .23 and 24 to actuatethe resistance control valves of the shock absorbers on both sides ofthe vehicle, thus modifying the reaction of the vehicle suspensionsystem to counteract the undesirable effects of inertia force on thevehicle body when the brakes are applied. In such operation of theresistance regulating means for the shock absorbers, independently ofthe operation of the steering mechanism, there is sufficient surfacearea of the member 34 so that the ends of the arms 30 and 3| will remainin contact therewith during the oscillating motion of the shaft I2.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, I have illustrated a modification of theinvention, in which the shock absorbers 4| and 42 on each side of thevehicle are provided with electrically actuated resistance controlvalves as fully described in my above identified co-pending application,the solenoids 43 being located at the compression ends of the shockabsorbers. Of course, each shock absorber has the usual operating arms45 and 46 respectively for connection with one of the vehicle axles. Theoperating solenoids for the resistance control valves are energized inthe following manner.

One end of the rod 41 is connected with the steering arm 8, and acircuit closing disk 48 is suitably secured to the other end of this redand insulated therefrom. Electric current from 3 battery 49 is suppliedto the disk 48 through the flexible cable 50, and the marginal portionof saiddisk is interposed between and normally spaced from upper andlower pairs of contacts 5|, 52 and 53, 54 respectively. Each pair ofcontacts is fixed to an insulating block 55, 56 respectively with whichthe opposing springs 51 and 58 are engaged to yieldingly resist movementof said insulating blocks from a central position on the supporting rods59 and 68 respectively. From the diagram, it will be evident that if thesteering mechanism is operated to make a left hand turn, the steeringarm 8 will move forwardly or to the left, thus causing contact betweenthe disk 48 and thecontact 5|. Current will then flow through aresistance iii in the circuit connections with the solenoid 44 wherebythe resistance control valve of the shock absorber 42 at the right sideof the vehicle is actuated to counteract the effects of centrifugalforce to compress the body supporting springs on that side of thevehicle. Owing to the passage of the current through the resistance 6|,the solenoid 44 will not be fully energized, and therefore theresistance valve will not be fully actuated to establish maximumresistance to the functional operation of the shock absorber. It will benoted that the lower contacts 53 and 54 are spaced apart for a greaterdistance than the upper contacts 5| and 52. Thus when a further movementof the steering arm 8 occurs to make a shorter or sharper turn of thevehicle, the

movement of disk 48 to the left continues and the upper contacts withthe insulating block 55 move therewith against the action of one of thesprings 51 until said disk engages the lower contact 53. Thereupon, theresistance 6| is short-circuited so that the full strength of thecurrent is supplied to the solenoid 44 to further actuate the resistancecontrol valve of shock absorber 42 and produce maximum resistance ofsaid shock absorber to compression of the vehicle springs on the righthand side of the vehicle.

In making a right hand turn, the disk 48 will first engage contact 52and current will then be supplied to the solenoid 43 through resistance62 in the current supply circuit for said solenoid to thus produce aninitial resistance to the operation .of the shock absorber on the lefthand side of the vehicle, and when the steering mechanism is furtheroperated, disk 48 will then sistance of the shock-absorber on the lefthand- "side of the vehicle to the maximum degree, and

thus anticipate the effects of centrifugal force to compress the vehiclebody supporting springs on this side of the vehicle.-

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that both'themechanical and electrical types of apparatus which I provide forautomatically anticipating the effects of centrifugal force to undulycompress the vehicle body supporting springs and resist displacement ofthe vehicle body from a normal condition of more or less stableequilibrium, will be highly eflicien and reliable in practicaloperation. v

In the drawing I have shown only the right and left hand shockabsorbersat 'one end of the vehicle, but it will be understood that the elec'-,trical valve operatingmeans for theshock. absorbers at the other end. ofthe vehicle will have their corresponding circuits connected with thebattery 49, in series with the circuits illustrated in the drawing.

In case of a vehicle having a three-point mounting, where the vehiclebody is centrally pivoted on a front axle or other support, stability ofthe vehicle in making sharp turns will be ma terially increased by theuse of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. In such a vehicle,no stiffeningeffect would be obtained by the pivoted front axle or its equivalent,and my invention will largely neutralize the slight pitching tendency inmaking a turn, which has a disagreeableeffect upon the occupantsof thevehicle.-

From the foregoing description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the construction, mannerof operation andseveraladvantages of the described embodiments of .the invention will beclearly understood. It will be appreciated that the device embodiesrelatively few parts of simple mechanical construction pendentlyoperable actuating means individual to'the resistance modifying means ofthe respective shock absorbers, a common operating means forindependently operating said actuating means and additional meansoperatively connected with both of said actuating means to operatethe-same and simultaneously modify the resistance of the shock absorberson both sides of the vehicle.

' 2. In a motor vehicle, steering mechanism, a hydraulic shock absorberon each side of the vehicle, each having means to modify the resistancethereof, independently operable actuating means individual to theresistance modifying means of the respective shock absorbers, a commonoperating means for independently operat-.

ing said actuating means, operatively connected with and actuated by thesteering mechanism and additional means operatively connected with bothof said actuating means for the resistance modifying means of the shockabsorbers on both sides of the vehicle to simultaneously operate thesame independently of the steering mechanism.

which may be produced and installed in the manufacture of the vehicle atmore or less nominal additional expense. An automatically operatingmechanism of this kind provides an additional factor of safety in theoperation of motor vehicles, and minimizes the possibility of accidentswhen driving at high speeds.

I have herein disclosed several practical embodiments of the presentinvention, but it will be apparent that the essential features thereofmay also be exemplified in various other alternative structural forms,and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all suchlegitimate changes in the construction, combination and relativearrangement of the several parts as may fairly be considered to bewithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l, in a motor vehicle, a hydraulic shock absorber on each side of thevehicle, each having meansto' modify the resistance thereof, inde- 3.In. combination with a motor vehicle having a braking system and asuspension system including a shock absorber on each 'side of thevehicle and each provided with resistance regulating means; meansconnected with and operatively controlled by the steering mechanism forselectively actuatihg the regulating means of shock absorbers onopposite sides of the vehicle to increase the resistance thereof inanticipation of the effects of centrifugal force upon the stabilizingfunction of the suspension system, and

additional means automatically responsive to anapplication of thevehicle brakes for operating said actuating-means to simultaneouslyoperate the resistance regulating means of shock ab-.

sorbers on both sides of the vehicle, independent- 1y of the steeringmechanism.

4. In combination with a motor vehicle having a braking system and asuspension system including a shock absorber on each side of the vehicleand each provided with a resistance regulating means; means forselectively actuating the regulating means of shock absorbers onopposite sides of the vehicle, and additional means automaticallyresponsive to an. application of the vehicle brakes for operating saidactuating means to simultaneously operate the resistance regulatingmeans of the shock absorbers on {both sides of the vehicle. a

5. In a motor vehicle, a yieldable body suspension unit on each side ofthe vehicle having

